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From HyperAdmin

[edit] Introduction

HyperAdmin is a web based Virtual Server management application. HyperAdmin allows administrators to quickly organize and navigate their Microsoft Virtual Server environment. Administrators can create logical views or collections of virtual machines running on different Virtual Servers. Administrators can then connect to and administer these machines with a minimal number of clicks.

[edit] System Requirements

[edit] HyperAdmin Server and Security Requirements

[edit] Hardware Requirements

CPU: 600-megahertz (MHz) Pentium III-compatible or faster processor; 1-gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor recommended.
Memory: 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM or more; 1 gigabyte (GB) or more recommended.
Hard Disk Space: 10 MB for HyperAdmin Server and approximately 200 MB for log files.

[edit] Software Requirements

IIS 6.0
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
ASP.NET 2.0
Microsoft Virtual Server 2003 R2 (Only the server component needs to be installed)
Microsoft SQL Server Express or Microsoft SQL 2005 (Local or Remote)

[edit] Security Requirements

HyperAdmin Proxy Accout

HyperAdmin uses a proxy account to connect to and perform tasks on Virtual Servers. This account will need to have the following rights and permissions:

Administrator rights on the IIS server where HyperAdmin will be installed.
Full Control on the Virtual Server. To assign this permission you will need to connect to the Microsoft Virtual Server Administration Website. Once connected click Server Properties | Virtual Server security and add an entry for the HyperAdmin Proxy Account. The account will need to have Full Control on of the Virtual Server.

VMRC Connections

HyperAdmin uses the Microsoft VMRC ActiveX control to connect to running Virtual Machines. Users that will need to remote control Virtual Machines will need to have View permissions assigned to their account or group via the Microsoft Virtual Server Administration Website. To assign this permission connect to the Microsoft Virtual Server Administration Website. Click Server Properties | Virtual Server security and add an entry for the user account or group that should be able to connect via VMRC. The account will need to have View permissions.

Database Connection

HyperAdmin stores its configuration information and data in a Microsoft SQL database. HyperAdmin can connect to the SQL database via the HyperAdmin proxy account or an SQL account. If the database does not exist the account will need to have Create Database rights. If the database already exists the account will need to be Owner of the HyperAdmin database. Note: The account used to connect to the SQL datbase can be changed at any time. Please refer to Updating the SQL Connection Account in Appendix A

[edit] Client Requirements

HyperAdmin Server is a web enabled application and supports the following web browsers:

Internet Explorer

[edit] Installing HyperAdmin

Download the Software: If you have not already done so, download HyperAdmin from http://www.hyperadmin.com/download/.

Start the Install: Install HyperAdmin by double clicking the HyperAdmin.msi. The setup wizard will guide you through the setup process.

Note:  You must be logged in with an account that has permissions to install 
software on the server, create an IIS site and create/modify the SQL database.  
Most of these tasks are automated in the install but still require the 
appropriate permissions.

Welcome Screen: At the HyperAdmin Setup welcome screen click Next.

License Agreement: To continue the HyperAdmin installation you must agree to the License Agreement. Once you have read the License Agreement and you agree to its terms select I Agree and the click Next.

Select Installation Folder: Select the location where the HyperAdmin files will be installed. You can also specify if the application will be available to Everyone or Just Me. This option will create a shortcut on the desktop to the HyperAdmin website for everyone or just the user installing HyperAdmin. However, anyone can connect to the HyperAdmin website if they know the correct URL and have the rights to view the website. Click Next.

HyperAdmin Proxy Account: HyperAdmin connects to Virtual Servers using a proxy account. You must specify the login, domain and password for an account that has administrative rights on the Virtual Servers you will manage via the HyperAdmin interface. This account can be changed later via the HyperAdmin Global Configuration page. Click Next.

Database Configuration: HyperAdmin stores all of its configuration information and data in a database. On the Database Configuration page you need to specify the following:

SQL Server that will host the HyperAdmin database
Database that will hold the HyperAdmin data. This can be an existing or new database. The account specified in step 3 will need the appropriate permissions to write to and/or create a database on the server you specified depending on weather it is an existing or new database.
Specify the account that will be used to connect to the SQL Server. This can be either the user account that you are currently logged on with or a SQL Server logon.

Click Next.

Confirm Installation: You are now ready to complete the HyperAdmin installation. Click Next to complete the installation wizard.

IMPORTANT: HyperAdmin is installed into the Default Web Site on the server where the install was run. Anyone connecting to the Default Web Site/HyperAdmin will have the same rights on the Virtual Servers as the HyperAdmin proxy account. Be sure to set the appropriate security permissions via IIS Administrator allowing only the appropriate users to connect to the HyperAdmin web site. For more information please refer to Securing the IIS HyperAdmin Website in Appendix A.

[edit] Using HyperAdmin

[edit] User Interface

[edit] Connecting to HyperAdmin Website

Setup will configure HyperAdmin as a new web application under your IIS server’s Default Web Site. The HyperAdmin website will inherit the permissions of the Default Web Site. It is recommended that you configure the IIS server to not allow anonymous access. For more information please refer to Securing the IIS HyperAdmin Website in Appendix A.

Connecting Locally: To connect to the HyperAdmin website from the server where HyperAdmin was installed double click the HyperAdmin shortcut on your desktop. This will open the URL http://localhost/HyperAdmin/ in you default web browser.

Connecting Remotely: To connect to HyperAdmin from any other machine, open Internet Explorer and type in the IIS server default webserver address followed by /HyperAdmin. For example: http://ServerName.YourDomain.com/HyperAdmin.

[edit] Licensing

After HyperAdmin is installed there are two tasks that are required in order for HyperAdmin to function properly. First, a valid license must be installed (this section). Second, the proxy account that HyperAdmin will use to connect to the Virtual Servers needs to be configured if it has changed since the setup was initially run, (see HyperAdmin Proxy Account).

Installing a Valid License

HyperAdmin requires a valid license. You can obtain a free HyperAdmin license from http://www.hyperadmin.com/license/. Additional licenses may be purchased from http://www.HyperAdmin.com. Once you have acquired a valid license you will need to upload it to the server.

Task: Upload License to Server

Connect to the HyperAdmin web interface. For more information see Connecting to HyperAdmin Website.
Click the Global Settings item in the left had navigation bar.
In the main window click Browse…
Browse to the location where you saved the license file and click Open.
In the main window click Upload.

When the license has been successfully uploaded to the server it will display the number of Virtual Servers and Virtual Machine that may be added to the HyperAdmin Server.

[edit] ISO image paths

The Default ISO Image Path allows you to set a search path for ISO images that will apply to all Virtual Servers managed by HyperAdmin. Specify one UNC path per line. Example:

\\HyperLab01\ISOs
\\HyperLab02\ITFiles

Note: Virtual Servers that will need to mount ISOs on a remote machine will need to be able to pass the credentials of the HyperAdmin proxy account to the server hosting the ISO images. To accomplish this Constrained Delegation must be configured. For more information on configuring Constrained Delegation please refer to Mounting ISOs on a Remote Machine.

[edit] HyperAdmin Proxy Account

HyperAdmin connects to the Virtual Servers and Machines on your network via a Proxy Account. For example: A user logs into the HyperAdmin website. When they make a request to add virtual servers, stop or start a guest, etc. this is done with the “Proxy Account” that is specified on the Global Settings page. The Proxy Account should have local admin rights and Full Control on any of the Virtual Servers that will be managed via the HyperAdmin Server web interface.

Task: Updating the Proxy Account

Connect to the HyperAdmin web interface. For more information see Connecting to HyperAdmin Website.
Click the Global Settings item in the left had navigation bar.
Under the HyperAdmin General Settings specify the following information: Login, Domain and Password.
Click Save Settings

[edit] Discovering Virtual Machines

Before you can work with Virtual Machines and Virtual Servers via HyperAdmin you will need to add them to the HyperAdmin web interface. This is accomplished by using the HyperAdmin Discovery Wizard. To start the Wizard click the Discovery Wizard menu item in the left navigation pane. This will start the Discovery Wizard. You will then need to provide the IP Address, NetBIOS name or FQDN of the Virtual Server. The HyperAdmin website will then connect to the Virtual Server and enumerate all Virtual Machines that are currently present on the Virtual Server. The Virtual Server will be displayed in the left navigation pane under All Physical Server. The Virtual Machines will be displayed below the Virtual Server. To add another Virtual Server repeat the above steps.

Task: Add Virtual Servers and Virtual Machines to the HyperAdmin web interface

Connect to the HyperAdmin website. For more information see Connecting to HyperAdmin Website.
In the left navigation pane click Discovery Wizard .
In the main window type the IP Address, NetBIOS name or FQDN of the Virtual Server you would like to add. Example: VSServer01.HyperAdmin.com
Click the Discover button.

The Virtual Server and Virtual Machines will now appear in the left navigation pane under All Physical Servers in a tree view.

Troubleshooting:

If the Discovery Wizard returns the error “Access Denied” the HyperAdmin Proxy account specified during setup does not have the appropriate permissions to connect to the Virtual Server. This can be remedied using one of the following methods:

Using the Microsoft Virtual Server Administration website and give the HyperAdmin Proxy account Full Control on the Virtual Server.
Change the HyperAdmin Proxy Account to an account that has the appropriate permissions on the Virtual Server. See HyperAdmin Proxy Account.

[edit] Virtual Server Properties

Once a virtual server has been discovered it will appear under the All Physical Servers tree in the left navigation pane. All of the virtual machines configured on the virtual server will appear below the physical server name. If you click on a virtual server in the right navigation pane you will be presented with a set of configuration options for that virtual server.

ISO Image Paths: Type in the path to a network share or a folder on the local machine that contains ISO images you would like to make available to all of the virtual machines on the corresponding virtual server. Type in one path per line. Be sure to click Save Settings after you make any changes. If the ISOs will be located on a remote machine you will need to configure additional security settings on the servers involved. Please refer to Mounting ISOs on a Remote Machine. Note: ISO Paths can be specified at a global level. Please refer to the ISO Image Paths section.

Physical server actions:
- Rescan VMs: HyperAdmin will detect new virtual machines that have been added to a virtual server. However, if you would like to manually refresh any changes that have been made to the virtual server you can select Rescan VMs.
- Remove: If you would like to remove the virtual server from the HyperAdmin website click the Remove button.

[edit] Connecting to Virtual Machines

HyperAdmin uses the Microsoft VMRC ActiveX control to connect to virtual machines. When a Virtual Server has been added to the HyperAdmin website and it is running you will see a thumbnail of the virtual machine. To connect to the virtual machine click on the thumbnail. If this is the first time you have connected to a virtual machines the VMRC ActiveX control will be automatically installed. Once the control has been installed you will see the virtual machine in the Main Window of the HyperAdmin website.

Troubleshooting:

You are prompted for credentials everytime you connect to a virtual machine via VMRC. This can occur for 2 reasons.

The machine you are connecting from is not part of the same domain as the virtual server.
The account you are logged in with does not have View rights on the virtual server. See Security Requirements under HyperAdmin Server and Security Requirements.

[edit] Managing Virtual Machines

[edit] Power Options

Virtual machines can be paused, stopped, Reset or have their State Saved via the Power button in the upper right hand corner of the HyperAdmin website. To use the Power button click on a virtual machines and then click the Power button. A list of Power options will be presented depending on the current state of the virtual machine.

[edit] CD\DVDs - Mounting ISOs

To mount an ISO image click a virtual machine in the left navigation tree and then click the Media button in the upper right hand corner. A list of available ISOs will be presented in a dropdown menu. Select the image you would like to mount by clicking on the image name. If an image is in Bold type this indicates the currently mounted image for the selected virtual machine.

Troubleshooting:

You get an access denied error when trying to mount an ISO image.

This occurs because the appropriate permissions have not been configured on the server that is hosting the ISOs and the virtual server where the virtual machine is running. Please refer to Mounting ISOs on a Remote Machine.

[edit] Appendix A

[edit] Securing the IIS HyperAdmin Website

HyperAdmin web site is installed as a web application under the Default Web Site on the server where HyperAdmin is installed. The HyperAdmin website will inherit the security of Default Web Site. If the Default Web Site has not been secured we recommend making the following changed to the HyperAdmin web application.

Disable Anonymous access to the site.
Change the Authenticated access to Integrated Windows Authentication.
Set the appropriate Permissions on the HyperAdmin website. These permissions should include the Network Server, Read Access, and any other group or groups that needs to have access to the HyperAdmin web site.

For more information on Securing IIS and Best Practices please refer to Security in IIS 6.0 (IIS 6.0) on the Microsoft Site.

[edit] Mounting ISOs on a Remote Machine

Resources like application and operating system ISO files can be store on the Virtual Server where the virtual machines will be located or on a central server in a shared folder. Storing all of your ISOs in a single folder on a central server will allow you to save disk space as you will not need to have multiple copies of the same files on more than one Server. However, for Virtual Server to access files located on a remote server Constrained Delegation must be configured. When the Virtual Server mounts an ISO for a virtual machines the Virtual Server will need to pass the HyperAdmin proxy account credentials to the file server. In addition the HyperAdmin proxy account will need read access to the share where the ISOs are located. To do this Constrained Delegation and share permissions must be configured as described in the scenario below.

Task: Configuring Constrained Delegation Our goal is to allow the virtual machines, VM01 and VM02, running on Virtual_Server to mount ISO files located on File_Server. The Active Directory domain is called HyperAdmin.local. The machine names and domain names are used just provide clarity and will be different for you environment.

Configuring Constrained Delegation
1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers for HyperAdmin.local.
2. In the console tree, under HyperAdmin.local, click Computers.
3. Right-click the computer running the Virtual Server service, in our case Virtual_Server, and click Properties.
4. On the Delegation tab, click Trust this computer for delegation to specified services only.
5. Click Use any authentication protocol or Use Kerberos only.
6. Click Add, and then click Users and Computers.
7. Type the name of the computer storing your resource files, in our case File_Server, and click OK.
8. From the list of available services, select cifs, and then click OK.
Create a Share and Configuring File Permissions
1. Choose a folder where you would like to save all of your ISOs. Right click the folder and select Properties.
2. Click the Share tab and select Share This Folder. In our case we called the share ISOs.
3. Click the Permissions button. Remove any permissions that are not appropriate for the folder. Make sure that the HyperAdmin proxy account has Read access to the share. Click OK when finished.
4. Click the Security tab. Remove any permissions that are not appropriate for the folder. Make sure the HyperAdmin proxy account has Read access.
5. Click OK

More information is available on the Microsoft Technet web site: Configuring constrained delegation

[edit] Updating the SQL Connection Account

To update the SQL account that HyperAdmin uses to connect to the HyperAdmin database use the following procedure:

Run HyperAdmin.msi setup. When promoted use the same HyperAdmin proxy account and the same HyperAdmin database that is currently used. However, type in the new SQL connection account and complete the setup.

[edit] Version History

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